Not My Cup of Tea
by HalyPooH
Summary: We all know that Phineas and Isabella are supposed to be a set in stone thing. We've all had it in our minds that everything would inevitably work out perfectly with them. They're a match made in Heaven, right? But what if it didn't all work out as planned? What if Isabella's heart were to truly be broken in two? Would Ferb ever be able to convince her that it'd be alright again?
1. Shopping Assignment

_Hey, Ferbella fans, (and fans in general but you know,,,) do I have a treat for you! This is my first ever Ferbella fic... so I'm new to the ship, but I've read up on it. I guess you could say I studied. I really wanted to try it out so here's the first chapter of this one here~ I've worked ever so very hard on it :) _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb _

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Chapter One:

Shopping Assignment

Today was different. It wasn't just another summer's morning, and Phineas and I knew that was a fact. Many days like this had happened in the past years in which Phineas would set his alarm thirty minutes early and break out his sketchbook in attempt to get his ideas flowing. It was thirty minutes too early for me.

His bright red hair was sticking up in all directions but his mouth only pointed in one. A smile that could clear the clouds on a rainy day. My pillow didn't help to block the sound of his pencil scraping across the paper. Most of the time it was a pleasant sound for me but not necessarily at six thirty in the morning.

"I know you're awake, Ferb. You might as well get up. Besides, it's a big day today! We have no time to lose!"

Although the itchiness of my eyes begged me to stay down, I slowly decided to humor him, for he had a very good point. My bed creaked as I turned over on my back. It certainly _was_ a big day and I should be useful and help him get things started.

"Do you think Isabella would like icicle lights or orb lights?" Phineas asked me thoughtfully, putting his pencil eraser to his chin. "Or should we hand out laser pointers to everyone?"

I pushed the covers off and threw my legs over the side of the bed. "Just icicle lights would be good. She likes glittery things."

"Okay! So that means she'd like the sparkly pink table coverings."

What else would she have wanted, Phineas? I mean really, he couldn't have thought that one out for himself? She wears pink every single day and he doesn't have a clue what her favorite color could be? Sometimes I think he has a firewall setup in his giant brain that's solely meant to block out any Isabella related thought.

I leaned over to see what he had down, and unsurprisingly the page was already full. He had a blueprint sketch of a giant daisy that would hold the punch glasses on the top two petals and the cupcakes on the bottom three.

"She'll like that." I muttered drowsily.

"I was thinking about making it a tree, but girls like flowers. I also got an idea for a Mexican buffet to set up by the fence, and I was thinking we could even turn the pool into an ice cream bar where you can swim up and order ice cream."

As lively as ever. I simply gave him a smile.

"Do you have any ideas?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at me.

I shook my head.

He looked back at the paper and hummed a couple tunes. Sometimes he would sing while drawing up his blueprints, and on several occasions I've caught him reciting Shakespeare. It varied depending on his mood.

"What are you going to get her for a present?" I asked, trying to wake myself up. I knew exactly what she wanted from him, but I doubt she'll get it unless she pins him down. She could if she really wanted to, but at the same time it would most likely break the girl code. Whatever that was.

"I was thinking about getting her some new shoes earlier but then I realized I don't know what size she wears. So then I considered maybe a necklace. I could put a locket on it and fill it with something. Something girls like."

"But you don't know what girls like." I stated.

"I do too!" He said. The boy kept working, diligently putting in the details in a glass table centerpiece. It looked like the same flower he had done earlier for the food, but this one had a butterfly on it and according to a side note he had wrote down, was going to be an ice sculpture too.

I glared at him, waiting for his answer.

He finished a wing and then began sketching a chair to the right of it. "They like flowers and sparkly things, and candy and bugs."

"Bugs?" I almost choked on a laugh trying to keep it in.

"Yeah! You know, like butterflies."

Yes, all those things were correct, but not very advanced. I don't know what I expected.

"Isabella loves butterflies. Remember?"

Of course I remembered. That was the day she went on her first "date" with Phineas. She still has daydreams about it and sometimes asks me if it was real or her imagination, because she hadn't been on what she considered a date with him since then. It was quite sad. I've tried several times to get them alone since then but either Buford or Baljeet or someone of the sort would come in and Phin would ask whoever it was to join them.

Isabella had it in her head that she was going to get her first kiss from him today, and I and everyone else are rooting for her, but honestly I think her hopes are a little too high. God, I hope nothing bad will happen. If anything does, the poor girl is going to be crying on her sixteenth birthday.

I fluffed out my hair as I finally got the energy to stand up, and I stepped over him. He ducked down without a word and kept drawing.

My legs were almost like two long noodles, and were handy when running and stepping over things but got in the way of other tasks. The top of my head almost touched the door. Two to three more inches and I would have to duck down. Along with that, no one, not even I, had any idea why my hair was bright green. I was born with it, and my father most likely knows why but he won't tell me. I stared languidly at my reflection in the mirror. I was tall and lanky. Not exactly what I wanted to turn out as, but it's better than being short and stocky. I would probably look like a jelly baby with a square nose.

"Ferb?" Phineas called. "Paper or plastic plates?"

He was going all out. "I don't know, why don't you ask her?"

There was a small pause, and I heard Perry turn in his bed, along with the crackling of paper. I watched myself blink in the mirror.

"Are you grumpy?"

I grinned at his question. "No, I stayed up too late reading."

"Oh." He said. "Again?"

"Well it's not like you haven't done the same thing with your sketchbook." I combed out my hair and fixed my toothbrush with some toothpaste.

"True."

After I made sure he had ceased talking, I stuck the brush in my mouth.

The morning consisted of short conversations about all kinds of random things Phineas was considering for the party and me giving him answers. I got dressed at seven o'clock, and later Phineas met me outside. The air was warm and welcoming, and it smelled sweet and new. The shade of the oak was a pleasing touch.

As if on cue, Baljeet and Buford arrived in the yard with a swing of a gate.

"Hello Phineas! Hello Ferb." Baljeet greeted with a small wave of his hand. "Planning Isabella's birthday party, I would guess?"

"Already done! Now we just have to get approval and assign set up positions." Phineas exclaimed vividly as the duo approached.

"Got something special planned for girly tonight, pointy?" Buford said, wiggling his eyebrows. I frowned at him, but Phineas didn't seem to catch on.

"Of course! I hope she'll like it. Ferb helped me pick out the colors."

Buford snickered.

Baljeet came and sat down with us and Phineas handed him his sketchbook so he could look. Buford followed.

"Oh wow! You certainly have gone all out this year! I have to say I am impressed. Isabella will love this!"

"Love what?" A different voice came from the outskirts of the yard as she came in, looking glamorous in her usual pink dress. "What'cha talkin' about?"

She strolled casually across the yard like it was any other day, a huge smile on her face and a skip in her step. Phineas snatched up his sketchbook from Baljeet and smiled innocently at her. "Oh nothing." He said. "Happy birthday, Izzy!"

She was as beautiful as ever…. in a sisterly kind of way. I guess I'm already used to thinking of her as my sister in-law. Might as well get used to it early. There's nothing bad about that, considering Phineas was bound to fall for her sooner or later. It's one of those facts that everyone knows but never really talks about, so you wonder why everyone knows about it if no one has ever talked about it.

"How have you been so far today?" Baljeet politely asked her, and she sat down in the grass and leaned back on her hands since the tree was taken.

Her face brightened a bit and she had a huge happy grin. I really hope she's not planning on doing what I think she's planning on doing tonight. If she cries over him on her sixteenth birthday, I may just end up having to knock some sense into him. But who knows if that will even work.

"I definitely woke up on the right side of the bed this morning. My mom made me sopapillas for breakfast and Pinky was there the whole time! Usually he's gone around breakfast like Perry is every day. After that I came over here. I couldn't wait to see you guys."

By that she means Phineas.

"I thought maybe I could see what you're planning."

"Nope! You know it's a surprise." Phineas said happily, placing the sketchbook behind his back and laying against it, wedging it between him and the tree.

Isabella only sighed. "Fine..."

"I'm sure you'll love it, though. It's gonna be extra special, because your sixteenth birthday is a very special birthday. You'll be treated like a queen!"

"Aww, that's so sweet of you, Phinny!" She said happily. "When do you guys plan on starting set up?"

"As soon as Ferb takes you shopping."

The sudden change of events made her blink in surprise and look at me.

"What?"

Even I was surprised. When did I ever agree with this? Phineas never told me he was gonna send her away with me. Usually she just stays in her house while we do everything but I guess he really wants to be cautious this time around. But why me? He could have made the girls take her.

"But I'm sure Ferb wants to stay and help." She looked at me worriedly.

"Ferb's fine! Right Ferb?"

I shrugged and nodded. It was really okay with me, I was just wondering why he couldn't have had the Fireside girls do it. Maybe he was in need of more hands. Better to have six pairs of helping hands than one.

"Did you know about this, Ferb?" She questioned.

I shook my head.

"What the hey? Did you just assume that everyone would be okay with this?" Buford crossed his arms.

Phineas frowned. "Is it not?"

Isabella and I looked at each other. She seemed content with it, just surprised. I was fine with it. No big deal. I would just take her around the mall and let her shop for herself. She'll make all the decisions. After all, Isabella will most likely be the future pants in her and Phineas' relationship.

"See, they're both cool with it. It'll be fine. After all, we can't risk her seeing any of it before its ready!" He concluded.

So it was decided. I would be escorting Isabella to the mall today. I suppose change is a good thing. After all, she and I get along very well together. It's not very often we get to spend time with each other but when we do it's all over satisfactory.

Phineas didn't waste any time with rushing us out, and after I jumped in the driver's seat of my mustang and she got in the passenger seat, we were off.

The automatic seat belts latched themselves around us and a pair of robotic hands came out of the glove box and fixed us both a drink. She got a caramel Frappuccino and I got my usual glass of warm sweet tea with lemon. I had mine and Phineas' favorites already set to be made when we jumped in the car. He always had cherry limeade with three cherries on top.

She sipped her coffee and then sighed deeply as she put it in her cup holder. Her eyes stared straight forward at the road and mine explored her face. It was one of disappointment, of sadness... of desire. She wanted something else. Something more. Passion and romance perhaps, or maybe just a moment that would set her feelings aglow... Or maybe... Something as simple as being noticed.

"Ferb… I'm sorry. I know you don't want to do this. The last thing you want to do is go shopping." She softly spoke.

I rubbed the side of my head, trying to think of something good to say. No, I didn't really _want_ to go shopping, but for Isabella's sake, I don't want her to be going on her own. If I left, she'd be mad. I wouldn't ever do such a thing anyway.

"It's really fine. No need to worry."

She lifted her drink up to her mouth and took a large sip and then put it back down. "I was gonna tell him right then." She said.

"What?"

"I was gonna just come out and say it right then and there, just to get it over with." She looked at me. "I was so ready. I could feel it, you know? But then he goes 'okay you go shopping now' like are you serious? He can't just get rid of me like this. That was a poor move on his part."

"Isabella, you know he just wants you out of the way so he can set everything up… right?"

She was about to shout something, I was sure of it, by the fire that had suddenly been sparked in her eyes.

But she didn't. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something but then stopped, raised a finger, and put it back down. She groaned loudly, and it almost sounded like a growl. "I know."

I raised an eyebrow at her as we came to a stop light at a four-way intersection. She crossed her arms. "I just… I mean I was just…"

"You were ready." I finished for her.

"I was ready!" She shouted back.

A smile crept up my face. It was amusing, seeing her fret so much about it, but I still felt bad for her.

"I could have just jumped on him or something, easy! And if all else failed I would have pulled out a bull horn and yelled it into that thing. This is _killing_ me, Ferb. It is ripping me apart inside. I cannot keep it in any longer. I'm about to burst."

"Don't burst on me please." I remarked.

She lowered her eyelids and glared at me, which made me chuckle.

"Very funny."

I smiled and went back to driving. The Googolplex mall was only a twenty minute ride from our house, and we were almost halfway there. In the meantime, she cranked up the music and started to sing along to the songs she knew, which included most of them. It's funny how the human brain can memorize a song after hearing it once, but can't recall what was learned in history class after an hour of other learning.

I'm not one for singing, so I enjoyed simply listening to her. Eventually, we made it into the parking lot. It wasn't crowded, being the Tuesday that it was, and the weather was hot, but not oven-hot.

"This is gonna be a good thing, Ferb." She said happily, unbuckling her seatbelt. "I think we both need some time away from Phineas and we need to spend some more time together. This'll be fun."

I nodded in agreement. "Where to first?"

Isabella frowned at me and touched her finger to her chin as we parked. "I thought we could just walk around until we see something."

I shrugged. Whatever she wanted to do. It was her birthday.

So we walked up to the mall, and went inside. People walked here and there, and high above our heads hung the humongous system of cords and crates holding who knows what, moving in every which way across the expanse of mall. Phineas and I had helped repair it only once, and it hadn't broken down again yet, and it had been seven years.

"Oh, I haven't been here in so long." Isabella mused. Her hair twirled about behind her as she spun around. "I forgot how much it smelled like hot dogs."

"Makes sense." I said. "There's at least ten hot dog restaurants on the first floor."

"That's strange."

"Well it Iis/I Danville."

She nodded as I stuck my hands in my pockets. We came to a stop in the center of the mall, where a giant magnificent water fountain shot its many strands of pure water out into high arcs. People sat around it and some little kids tried to throw their pennies onto the highest tier.

Isabella looked around it and out past it, until it seemed she had found what she was searching for. She gasped and placed her hands together. "Oh my gosh, it's my favorite dress shop!" She smiled widely. "Can we go there first?"

I looked up and around the fountain, and on the other side of it, there was a fancy looking boutique with professionally tailored dresses, and it looked like something she would definitely like. So she pulled me onward, past the little kids with pennies, and into the large dress shop. It was very sparkly. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling to provide light and the shelves were lined with pink fuzz. I don't know why this was helpful, in fact it probably made the shoes pink and fuzzy if they sat there long enough, considering it was sticking to my fingers every time I touched it.

Isabella went through rack after rack, and I examined some of the peculiar jewelry... Some of it was pretty cool actually. There was a pair of earrings that doubled as miniature hand-held pencil sharpeners. Isabella said she hadn't seen anything like them, but turns out they were fifty dollars. I could easily make some at home for free if she wanted them.

"Oh wow, look at this!" She said as she held up a blue dress to herself, looking down in awe. "Look at the ruffles, how fancy they are."

She already had six dresses slung over her shoulder. Each one was a work of art in itself.

"You should probably try them all on before your arm breaks off." My eyebrows furrowed.

She rolled her eyes. "I think I can handle at least two more. I'm sorry if you're bored." She smiled guiltily. "This is just my favorite thing to do. I love trying on all these fancy dresses and feeling rich for at least a few minutes"

She swung the dress back and forth, watching the layers of satin move like ripples of water. Her eyes suddenly darted back up to me. "Help me pick out two more." She demanded.

I put my hands out in front of me. "Oh no, I don't have a clue where to even start."

She strolled around one of the dress racks, pushing some of the green dresses aside. "Sure you do! You have a step sister, I'm sure you've learned a thing or two about fashion. You've even made your own clothing line!" She laughed. "Candace must have taught you _something_ in the fourteen some-odd years you've lived with her."

I pressed my lips together and looked at the rack before me, which held a ridiculous amount of red dresses, each with a different decoration. "Isabella, I..." I began to protest, but she stopped me by giving me a look that... Honestly frightened me a bit. But then she giggled.

"Uh-uh-uh! No buts." She shook her head. "Just pick a dress. It can be the ugliest dress here, just pick one!"

With that bit of information, I chose to make this simple, so I spun around and touched the hanger of the dress closest to me, which was a purple sundress with lacing down the skirt. I turned back to her quickly and gave it to her, and she hastily chose a yellow one to the right. "Perfect! Okay I'll try these on. You can wait. Or if you're too manly then you can go get a burger or something."

With that, she ran off to the back of the store and left me there in confusion. I didn't want to get anything to eat without her. I'm sure she had to eat too. So I made my way to the back, and found the entrance to the dressing rooms, and leaned against the wall by the doorway. My hands found their way to my pockets, and my mind drifted off to other thoughts for a while. I watched a couple of kids just outside of the store, both about six, climbing onto the water fountain with handfuls of pennies to throw. They chunked the little bronze coins over their heads with agile movements of arms and wrists, but their aim was next to horrible.

It only took her a few minutes to change into her first dress, and she came out and twirled. It was a very intricate design, and it didn't take long for the workers at the store to come and ask her to stop spinning with it on. The process went on though, and she took about an hour to try them all on. I didn't mind. She was enjoying herself and it was a good thing for her to take her mind off of Phineas.

"You know, the cooler colors look the best on me, I think. They must bring out my eyes or something." She examined, fixing herself in a mirror outside the dressing rooms.

"You look like a queen in all of them." I stated. It was only true. She was a beautiful girl, and anyone lucky enough to be fancied by her should be proud. Oh Isabella, a marvel she was. Spending most every day of her life with us guys, gaining our trust and proving us wrong so many times that I couldn't count. She wasn't _just_ a curious girl across the way. She wasn't. She was so much more than that.

"Oh, stop it." She told me, and then sighed while looking at herself in the mirror. "If only Phineas would think that."

I furrowed my brow and stepped forward, putting my hands on her shoulders, and she looked at our reflection. "Bella, stop doing that. Stop putting yourself down because of him. I'm sure he sees how beautiful you are, anyway. He may be a blockhead but he knows you're beautiful. If he didn't then he would have been lying when he called you cute."

Her expression warped as she turned around to properly look at me.

"Ferb?"

I suddenly realized what I said. I didn't really… I mean I didn't mean to be so blunt. It was just a fact, but now it was being analyzed and sorted through in that smart brain of hers, picking out the little details. I could see the gears turning through her translucent eyes. The embarrassment and guilt came in like a storm anyway though, and I quickly took my hands off of her shoulders, and stepped backwards. I probably shouldn't have said that. It made her even more confused than she already is. I've never actually said anything that meaningful to her before, I suppose. I guess I've just never had the chance to. Sure, I've spent many hours trying to get her back on her feet, but they were usually hours of silence, with a few "it's okay" reminders thrown in. I still meant it, though.

She began to back up into the dressing rooms again. "Uh… I'm just gonna get dressed. I'm getting hungry. But… Ferb…" She stopped, her gaze caught on the white tile flooring, and her left hand caressed some of the fabric at her waist.

Oh God…

"I...um… thank you… that was really sweet of you to say."

Great. That was just great. I try to calm her down and all I do is make her even more uncomfortable. Way to go, Ferbooch.

I managed to muster a quick, "No problem," but it was really quiet.

I'm such a cabbage sometimes.

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_R&R Please! Hope ya'll enjoyed it!_

_-HalyPooH_


	2. Sour Sixteen

_Hi everybody! I got so many people who reviewed on the last chapter (Thank you so much, Lilly-Belle! I don't know how I'll ever repay you) I can't believe it! :D I really can't wait to see how you guys like this story. ^-^ I'm so glad it's off to a good start. _

_So without further ado, here's chapter two! _

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Chapter Two:

Sour Sixteen

"This is a really good burger." I tried to start a conversation.

We stopped to eat at Mr. Slushy Burger after Ferb got me a dress. He wasn't supposed to get me anything. I can't believe he actually got me a dress! It was like seventy dollars! And he paid out of his own pocket! I already thanked him about a thousand times but I still don't feel like it's enough. It was the third one I had tried on- a lovely blue long satin gown, with rhinestones accenting the borders on the neckline. The fabric went all the way down to the floor, making me look like a princess. Or at least, that's how he had described it.

He only nodded to my statement about the burger. He had ordered a bacon cheeseburger, and was eating across from me at our booth. He was being a lot quieter ever since he said that thing about me. He didn't have to shut up; in fact I wish he would at least say something. I know he only meant it as a friend.

The thing about it was that... He wasn't supposed to say it first.

I know, it's terrible, but I guess it's just my twelve year old self that got kind of mad back there. I'm not mad at him, I could never be... I'm just a little disappointed.

I guess he knew that too. That's why he felt so bad. It's okay though.

I ate some more of my burger.

He actually got me that dress. God, Ferb... I can't stop thinking about how generous he had been. Somehow, he'd snuck the dress over to the cashier and just before I had gathered all the rest of my chosen dresses, he had pulled out his wallet and bought it. I tried to make him go and return it, but he refused, saying it was his birthday present for me.

Suddenly, his phone went off, letting him know he got a new text. He picked it up and read it while chewing his food, and once he swallowed, he turned the device back off.

"Phin said they're done."

Wow. That was fast.

"Did he say we could come?"

He nodded.

"Then come on let's go!" I shouted. "No need to keep them waiting!"

Ferb widened his eyes at me and then took one last giant bite of his burger and we both scooted out of the booth.

We ran outside and jumped in his mustang. It was so cool. Ferb had the coolest things.

Since the sun was in his eyes, he put on a pair of really dark shades, and I laughed. He smirked.

"I can tell from that look there on your face." I said, and he chuckled.

"You're diggin' my ride from outer space." He finished.

I laughed, and he backed up out of the parking spot. The smile on his face was clear, and playful.

So we drove home and I only made him run one stop light. I wanted to see Phineas. I needed to tell him. I was gonna burst. I know I promised Ferb I wouldn't burst on him but if he was planning on going slow then I might not be able to keep my promise.

We arrived on Maple Drive, and he pulled up on my side of the road. But when I tried to open the car door, he stopped me by grabbing my arm. It was sudden and startled me, and I turned my head back as my foot reached the pavement. He had a peculiar look on his face, but it told me he meant business.

"Don't do anything stupid." He said earnestly, looking deep into my eyes. It almost came off as desperate, the way he said it. I could have sworn he doubted the better outcome. But Why? Do something stupid? I would never! What the heck was he talking about?

"Phineas doesn't know that you love him so much, and if you spill it all out to him in one bucket, I don't know if he'll be able to carry it. Break it to him slowly, Bella."

Oh… that…

He released my arm, but I didn't move. Suddenly I felt really nervous. And that horrid question that I've been battling my entire life burrowed itself back into my brain. What if he doesn't like me? What will I do then? Nothing would be right. I was always supposed to be with Phineas. What if that didn't happen? Where would I go to next? What would I do? I could never fall in love again. I mean, come on… Who else could ever be as perfect as Phineas Flynn?

I cleared my throat and glanced back at him, and then got out of the car. I needed air all of the sudden. I felt sick.

Ferb got out too and locked his car after I shut my door.

He had to walk up to my own gate with me because I wouldn't budge without him. The backyard was eerily quiet, but I'm sure it was about to get very loud in about… I'd say three seconds.

Three…

I took a deep breath.

Two…

He smiled warmly at me.

One.

The gate swung open and three words were shouted across my backyard.

"Happy birthday, Isabella!"

My God, it was beautiful. It was amazing. It was… almost perfect. I felt Ferb's hand on my back as he pushed me on forward into the arms of the redhead, who pulled me into a hug and squeezed me as tight as he could.

"Oh Phineas, this is amazing! I love it!" I squealed.

My backyard had been given a complete makeover. There was now what looked like a smoothie bar _inside_ of my pool, a magnificent waterfall with colored lights under the water that made it pink, lights _everywhere_ and… was that Love Händel?

"I'm glad that you do!" Phineas said happily, dragging me further into the yard with all of my friends. The whole Fireside troop was there, and Django, and Baljeet and Buford, and Candace and Stacy and a lot of their friends were there too. My mom came up and hugged me after Phineas, and then Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher offered me a small ham and cheese cracker, which I took graciously.

Phineas took me around the backyard, giving me a tour of everything. He had really gone over and beyond my expectations with this whole thing. He couldn't have gotten it down more perfectly. Pink tablecloths, sparkly icicle lights, butterflies... He knew me so well!

The main party was absolutely wonderful. We rocked out to Love Händel for the first hour, and then we broke for cake. It was my favorite, chocolate chocolate chip. You had to say chocolate twice or else you wouldn't be giving it all it deserves. After that, Phineas and I played as a team in a racing game, which we won with a twenty point lead. The day was filled with fun activities, including a giant piñata that was filled with smaller piñatas so that everyone could have the same amount of candy. Well, everyone except for Baljeet, who had his stolen by Buford. When it started getting dark, we set off some fireworks. Their colors spread across the sky beautifully, rendering the stars to a nothing. We listened to the radio and made smores over an open fire pit, and everyone started to calm down.

Eventually, Phineas let me be, going off to do his own thing, and I still hadn't told him anything by the time the sun went down. The warm night was mocking my cold mood. My friends were having fun in the pool, but here I was simply sitting on the top rock of the waterfall with my clothes still on, and eating my fifth hot dog. And it had not gone unnoticed by everyone.

Ginger crawled up onto the waterfall, her body all wet from the pool, and her hair in dark black strings. Ginger had always been the one who could read my mind just by looking at my face, along with Ferb, but with her it wasn't just a one way thing. It was like we had a connection between our minds and we could tell what the other was thinking just by looking at them. She sat down on the shiny rock next to me and leaned back, watching the others play Marco Polo.

"Why aren't you swimming?" She asked lowly.

The light from the pool danced on her skin. She looked really worried.

"I don't feel like getting wet." I lied.

She knew me all too well though, and eyed me suspiciously. "You haven't tried to flirt with Phineas all day, Isabella. I know something's up." She paused. "I just… thought I'd tell you that now so you wouldn't waste any time with excuses."

I sighed and looked at my hot dog. Whatever happened to feeling sick? I knew I was just eating my feelings away… or at least trying to. But it wasn't working.

"I'm worried." I said, looking over at her.

"Worried?"

I looked back down at the boy who had stolen my heart. His red hair was flattened out and hanging down in one wet bunch, laughing as he yelled "Marco!" while the others swam away from him.

"Izzy, there's no reason you should be worried. No matter what the outcome is, he'll always be your friend. Hasn't he been there by your side this whole time, no questions asked?"

"Well yeah, but what if he never looks at me the same way again? What if he never acts like he used to afterwards? I don't want to lose the Phin I have now."

"But you've wanted this for so long. I thought you were determined!"

Her voice was almost like Stacy's when she was fifteen. Ginger was sixteen, but she sounded younger.

"I am!" I exclaimed. "I just… don't think that now is the right time to tell him."

Ginger's face saddened. "What if now is the only time you'll ever get to do it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be silly. I'll get another chance. Maybe tomorrow."

She looked at me for a while longer before taking a deep breath and giving me a tiny smile.

"Okay. But you gotta do it sooner or later. If you wait too long, you might just fall in love with someone else." She joked, giving a laugh and then standing up.

I giggled at her comment. Me liking someone else? It was next to impossible.

"Watch out below!" She yelled, and to my surprise, she grabbed my hand and tugged hard, causing me to stumble and my hot dog to fall helplessly into the pool. My eyes got as wide as saucers as I found myself plummeting down too, and then landing in the pool with a giant splash. My clothes stuck to my body in uncomfortable ways, but the water was incredibly warm and inviting. I swam up and gasped for air. When I could hear again, I noticed that all of my friends were laughing happily at me. I felt a smile start to grow on my face, and suddenly I was relatively happy again. It was just like old times. Oh, the bitter nostalgia. Ginger giggled loudly as I treaded water and turned towards her, but she only got a face full of water in response from me.

I joined them in another game of Marco Polo, all the while still in my clothes. What was the point in getting a bathing suit now just to get it all wet? I took my shoes off, but that was about it. But the night felt like it could never end, and the stars shined brightly over our heads, and the warm lights of the swimming pool eventually calmed everyone down to a point where we began to revel in the past. There were ledges in the water that allowed us to just sit and talk while our hair dried. I watched as Ginger leaned against Baljeet, how her head went directly to the space between his chin and his neck, and I saw how sweetly he smiled down at her. Katie sat pretty close by Django, and they did look like they were enjoying each other's company. Buford took up a whole ledge to himself, and he silently cupped water in his hands and then shot it out at Baljeet like a water gun. The Hindi teen furrowed his brow at him, but didn't say anything more.

Then there was Ferb, who was leaning back against the wall of the pool and looking up at the sky, stargazing I would guess. He seemed content, but… not really… okay. If that makes any sense at all. I had never really thought about it before, but Ferb had never had a single date with anyone. I knew he did like one girl named Vanessa at some point, but then he learned that she had gotten married to another man. Oh, how that must have hurt. But poor Ferb had never been with anyone. Well… I hadn't either but that was beside the point. Ferb didn't like anyone that I knew of, and I was deeply and madly in love with Phineas.

Speaking of the devil, the boy's triangular head popped up in front of me, coming up out of the water like Ariel on _The Little Mermaid_.

"Hey Isabella."

"Hey." I greeted back. "What'cha doin?"

He sat down next to me, and I could almost feel my heart hitting my rib cage.

"Did you have fun?" He asked me.

I nodded and smiled, and I guess he didn't catch the falseness of it, because he grinned back and said, "Good! I'm glad you liked it. Plus you can keep the waterfall and ice cream smoothie bar. Those are permanent. Unless you don't want them."

"No, I like them."

"Cool." He paused for a moment while looking around the pool at everyone, giggled, and then nudged me with his elbow. "It seems like just about everyone but us and Ferb has someone they're with."

Wait... He _knows_ that? He actually noticed that? He is actually paying attention to the people around him and their mannerisms? Since when did he do that? Since when did Phineas know about dating?

"But that's okay." He said, and left me confused as heck.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked in my most curious voice I could conjure, because in reality I was pretty peeved.

"I'm not really one for dating I guess. I don't really want to have to go through the whole dating scene right now, when my life is already so busy, and I've got a future to uphold. And a summer, might I add. I know I will in the future. In college I probably will. I don't even really like anyone, so what does it matter?" He shrugged.

And that is the story of how I died.

"You've never even considered it with anyone?" I pressed, dreading it to be true.

He shook his head. "Nope. Too busy seizing the day I guess." He looked down at his hands in the water. "Besides, who would want to date me?" He laughed. "I'm kind of an oddball."

I couldn't even look at him. So I looked away. But it had been too loud. Everyone was staring at me with shattered looks and I could feel my lip quiver. My worst nightmare was playing out on the spot, on my sweet sixteen, and everyone already knew about it.

Phineas didn't want to date anyone, and that "anyone" included me. He had never considered it; he had never thought about it, he had never, not ever, liked me as more than just a best friend. I could feel my throat start to clench up in that awful way when you know you're about to cry and if you said anything, the tears would come pouring down. And Phineas was still happy-go-lucky.

This was my ultimate nightmare.

"Um…" I uttered, stumbling on my pronunciation. "I… I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

My hands shook as I got out of the water. I dragged my feet up and out, and the pavement around the pool felt cold, and I shivered. None of my friends made a sound, but I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I could feel the pain starting to build itself up, and I held my breath so my chest wouldn't start heaving like it did before the tears would come.

I couldn't be out here anymore. I couldn't stand it. I had to get away.

The water poured off of me as I splashed over to the sliding glass door, not even bothering to get a towel. My shorts and shirt wobbled around with the weight of the water soaked into them. My bow drooped lowly on my head. I swallowed hard as his words passed through my head again.

_"I'm not really one for dating I guess."_

This was the worst turn of events that could have happened in my life. I was only about to be a junior in high school, and I had already lost all sense of hope, for good. I was never going to get married, I was going to grow old with no one to love. Phineas would eventually forget about me, or he would consider me as just a friend from the past. I would be gone from his life, and later, if I were to ever cross his path, he wouldn't even give me a passing glance. All of those dreams, all of the little fantasies I'd had as a ten year-old, all of the hopes and wishes I've ever wanted to be true meant nothing now. It was confirmed as of tonight that there would never be anything more between Phineas and I. It was a catastrophe.

Once I got to the stairs, I darted up them as fast as my feet could take me. And only then did my eyes overflow with hot and salty tears.

"Isa!? What's the matter, mija?" My mom reached out to me at the top, but I brushed past her as I bawled.

Someone must have stopped her, because she didn't burst into my room after I had shut the door. I stood there, in shock, with tears rushing madly down my face. What was I supposed to do with myself now? I had run out of hope, and somehow, it had been replaced with a cold hard feeling of absolutely nothing. I mean, Phin was the only dream I have ever had, and now that that was gone… I don't have anything to hope for. I don't want anything anymore.

My room was silent other than me, but I could barely make out the sounds of the others talking out in the pool. My clothes still dripped down, down to the white carpet, and my toes cringed up and I wanted to be warm again, but I couldn't bring myself to move.

The silence of Danville amplified the thoughts in my head. One after another. Each one bringing me deeper and deeper into a state of shock. I want it to stop. I want it all to stop. All of these thoughts. All of these little whispers conjuring up emotions that had been buried deep within my soul all of my life were killing me. It felt like I had a black pit in my stomach. I felt like I was suffocating, trapped in a glass box that had built itself around me without me knowing. My teeth chattered and I rubbed my arms for warmth.

But suddenly, I felt a nice piece of stringy fabric wrap around me, breaking the imaginary glass, and I quickly turned around to see Ferb, none other than the one boy I knew I wanted to see most. His face had the words "I'm sorry" plastered all over it, and his wet green hair dripped down around him.

"You warned me about this." Were the first words to come tumbling out of my mouth. "Why doesn't anyone ever listen to you, Ferb?"

The only thing he did was step forward and engulf me in a meaningful hug. I almost immediately lost my sense of self control and started to wail quietly into his chest, which still had little drops of water on it. God, I sounded like a little girl.

Never had I felt this horrible. Never had something backfired so badly on me before. Never had I even _considered_ the possibility of it being so bad, that I would be crying in Ferb's arms at the end of the night.

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_R&R Please! _

_(Btw I just want to mention that for the moment I can't post any after chapter 3. My beta is still on chapter 4 but he has all the chapters and he says he'll be able to get to them soon. :) Just so you know why I'm waiting so long between posts. It's better you have one chapter a week than three chapters in a day and having to wait for who knows how long for the next one. That's just what I think though.) _

_~You're friend,_

_HalyPooH_


	3. Knight in Shining Armor

_Hi everyone! Good news, chapter 4 has been beta read and will be posted in the next week. :) Now I just read over this chapter and fixed a lot of things so it should be pretty good. The only thing I'm worried about is how fast paced it is. :p Read away!_

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Chapter 3

Knight in Shining Armor

I had rushed up to her room as soon as I got the chance to get out of that blasted backyard, and luckily she had only made it to the top of the stairs. She was moving so slowly, her beaten down heart not able to go any faster. I had told Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro to fetch a towel for both of us as I passed by her, that I would take care of the problem, and that it was indeed a Phineas issue, to which she then agreed immediately. She knew that I had comforted Isabella many times for this same problem, and she sometimes struggled with it herself, so she trusted me with her.

When I got into her room, I saw that she had only made it one step in, stopped, and was standing there like a statue. A shivering, dripping statue.

Phineas had really done it this time. How was I ever going to convince her it was going to be okay now? Phineas' ever-so-waited-upon love had always been her source of comfort, and now it was impossible to tell her that he liked her. I honestly thought that maybe, somewhere deep within the crevices of his triangular brain, that he had feelings for her beyond friendship, but I guess we were all wrong. Everyone had heard what he said. He doesn't like _anyone_ that way.

She had noticed me enter her room and had turned around just in time to have her face bury into my chest. Her hands held her towel up to her mouth. I could tell she was biting down on the fabric from the way her cries were clouded over ever so dejectedly, so wrecked and quelled to the point of shattering her from the inside out. To me it was the most terrifying thing I could've ever heard coming from her. Her heart was truly broken this time around, and it wasn't just cracked, it was _ripped_ clean out of her body.

"Shhh…" A hush escaped my lips, but she only let out another tiny sob. I could feel her squeezing her eyes shut against me, and her fingers clenching tightly together on my water-beaded skin.

"Don't cry, don't cry." I whispered.

"Ferb... I'm sorry. I thought I..." She mumbled, trying to make it as legible as possible.

"You thought what?"

She sniffled and then backed up to look at me. Goodness... Her eyes were puffy and pink around her eyelids, and her blue rhinestone eyes shot out like diamonds in the rough.

"I thought I would finally have him. He was supposed to be mine after today, Ferb. He was supposed to have at least _some _ feelings for me." She cried, her voice lurching after every little sentence.

I didn't know what to say to that. She was right; he was supposed to like her all along. That was always the assumption of everyone, and no one had really questioned it, and I mean _really_ questioned it. Everyone had their fluctuations, but they all, including me, were sure that he would end up liking her eventually.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." I muttered.

She looked at me like I had betrayed her; like the world had betrayed her and I was the one who was supposed to make it better. It was horrible. Horrifying, even.

"No. It wasn't your fault." She took the towel and used it to wipe some of the water off my chest. "No one has to apologize."

I stared down at the towel, still considering her words. They made no sense. She wasn't making any sense. She was acting like there wasn't anything anyone could do about it. This isn't a situation that she could just put aside, suppress into her heart and leave behind like she always did, she had to do something about it this time. If she wasn't going to do anything about it, then someone else had to.

"Then what can I do?"

She stared at me for a few seconds and then wiped her eyes. "I don't know."

Was there anything I could do about this? Was I actually stuck with letting her figure this one out on her own? "I have to be able to do something." I begged. There was no way I was going to just… let her get through this by herself. I don't care what she would ask me to do, I would do it without thinking twice. Isabella did not deserve to have to deal with this on her sixteenth birthday, or any other day.

She shook her head slowly but still kept her eyes on me. "I...I don't know." Her voice was croaky and brittle. "Thank you for being here for me anyway." She said, as if the conversation was over.

I nodded.

But she wasn't done.

"Ferb..." She paused, pulling her fingers that had been spread out on my chest into a fist. "You're always here for me, though. Why do you do this? Why are you always the one that comes to make me feel better every time I run?"

It was true. In every time of need, I was there for her. I always comforted her, always helped her through her battles, and always made her feel like she could do anything... Or at least I tried to. But why did I do it? It was my own will that dragged me into her room after every time she came running up here. I never had to. There wasn't anything saying it was my job. The first time I ever comforted her, I remember... Was on the island with that big ox. A lot of things happened that day. I had given her my handkerchief when she had given up, she had told me why she cried, and I guess it made me feel terrible for her to have to be this way. That had to be it. I didn't want her to ever feel sad. She was just a girl with high hopes and a high determination to live out her dreams, and she has never done anything to deserve to feel so heartsick.

I suppose I had been silent for a little too long because she had come to the conclusion that I wasn't going to answer. So she sighed, and wrapped the towel more snugly around her. "I just want you to know that I really appreciate all you've done."

I gave her a smile, but she didn't smile back.

No no no… oh no… she was not going to play the depressed card on me again. She had pulled that one way too many times for my liking.

"I hope you're not just going to give up." I told her. I placed a finger under her chin and lifting her gaze up to lock onto mine. Her cheeks were like two bright roses.

"I mean, it's fine with me if you've given up on my brother but I really hope you're not going to stop being you." I said.

The angst in her eyes was worrying me. At first I thought she was going to give me a verbal answer, but instead, to my absolute horror, she pulled away from me slightly and reached up to her head and undid the clip of her bow, and pulled it off in one slow and deteriorating tug. She looked at it in her hands, and I watched with wide eyes and a half open mouth. Isabella never took off her bow. It was something that had grown so common to everyone over the years. A relic of our childhood that reminded us every day of the struggle she's gone through simply to just reach her goal of winning the heart of my brother. If Isabella didn't have her bow, it meant she was giving up completely.

"Honestly Ferb, I don't know if I'll ever be quite the same again." She paused. "Phineas was all I ever hoped for. What's a girl to believe in after all her dreams are turned to dust?"

I shook my head. "Find something else to be, for heaven's sake, just don't give up!"

"It's too late." She exclaimed, a tear escaping her eye. "Who could ever take Phineas' place? I had my mind set that I was going to be dating him by now. I'm so stupid!" Her voice was getting louder with every word. "When everyone sees me like this they're all gonna think I'm a spoiled brat who doesn't care about anything but herself and her… and her relationship issues!" She threw her arms up with those last words, and that had been enough to drive me up the wall.

"Don't ever say that." I said forcefully, stepping forward to put my hands on the sides of her face.

She looked at me like I had two heads.

I must have scared her. God... today was just a series of unfortunate events for her and me. Every time I've opened my mouth today I've said something stupid and made her uncomfortable.

I passed one hand over my face and sighed, letting off some steam that had built itself up slowly as our conversation played out, but my other hand stayed behind her ear.

"You are not stupid, you are not a brat, and no one is ever going to think about you that way and if they assume anything close to that, you'll always have me to cover you." I spoke softly, as if she was a ticking time bomb that would go off with any loud noise I could make. "Don't ever think about yourself like that. Ever. Isabella, you are the most amazing girl I have _ever _met, and I will not have it if you ever talk about yourself like that again, do you hear me?"

She widened her eyes a little, and I decided to go on, because she didn't open her mouth to stop me.

"Who cares what Phineas thinks?" I continued. "I know he still loves you just the way you are, even if he doesn't think about you that way. But forget what he said! I think you're the most beautiful girl in the world and if I were him, I would be delighted to be with you. You're absolutely stunning; your personality is nothing any girl can even come close to. The way you smile makes everyone around you feel happy, the way you snort a little when you laugh too hard, and then try to blame it on someone else, how you fiddle with your clothes when you're nervous, and how your face turns the rosiest pink when you're embarrassed..." I smiled. "There's nothing I can think of that I don't find completely confounding about you."

She only stared at me with a thunder-stricken expression while she shook her head ever so slightly, trying to deny my words.

"I'm only trying to make my point and if I have to use up a whole year's worth of dialogue then so be it." I chuckled a bit afterwards. "So be it, Bella! I hate seeing you cry, I _hate_ it. Especially when it's over my dim witted stepbrother. I can't take this nonsense anymore. Every time you feel down about something ihe/i did, you go and curse _yourself_ for it? That doesn't make sense to me! You are the strong, the mighty, the independent, the funny, lovely, amazing, adventurous Isabella! The fantastic girl from across the way!"

"Ferb… I…" She started, but never finished.

I didn't respond, but examined her a little, and then noticed how red her cheeks were. I had gotten really close to her in my little speech. My face was only _inches_ from hers, and my hands were glued to the sides of her head. I could see the glistening dark blue hues in her hair, and the two tiny freckles on her right cheek from being in the sun every day. She was so fair-skinned, and didn't tan very easily, but the sun did manage to give her those two little freckles. She was so close, that if I bent down a little, I could kiss her.

I could kiss her...

Upon realizing that, I immediately let her go and took about two steps back, giving her more room then she probably needed. Her tears were gone, and had been replaced by a face of… either wonder, or disgust. I couldn't tell. Perhaps both. I couldn't blame her for it either. It was her utmost time of need and yet I, the one who was supposed to be heroic and knightly, wanted to make a run for it. I couldn't believe myself.

I could tell she was about to say something from the way she stepped forward and stiffened her back slightly, but then a strong knock on the door shot our trains of thought back into reality. Both of our heads darted in the direction of the sound, and Isabella lost her grip on the towel, causing it to fall abruptly to the floor. A weight was taken off of my shoulders when I heard who it was.

"Isabella? Ferb? Can I come in?"

Ginger's melodic Japanese voice came from the other side of the wooden slab, and then the door opened just a crack.

"It's okay, Ginger, you can come in." Isabella murmured, as if nothing had just happened. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself before Ginger came in the room and looked at both of us. The girl crossed her arms and leaned on the door to close it.

"I thought I heard Ferb talking." She looked at me. "Am I going crazy?"

"Ferb talks sometimes." Isabella said really quickly. Her voice sounded unpleasantly honeyed.

I had to get out of there. I couldn't pinpoint why, but my mind was in a horse race, being trampled by the giant steeds that were the questions nibbling at my thoughts. The way she had said that made me feel like I should not be there.

Ginger glanced from me to Isabella and back again. "What was going on in here?"

"Uh…" Isabella looked at me, and her cheeks were red. "Ferb was just leaving. Weren't you, Ferb?"

Right. Leaving. I was leaving.

"Yeah, I… um… good day-uh-night… goodnight."

And with that horribly worded bit of stuttering, I did what she said and was out of her room. What is wrong with me? I never stutter! I mentally scolded myself as I took the stairway down. My feet pounded on the cherry colored oak slabs, making my presence known to probably everyone in the house.

I didn't even say goodnight to Phineas. I was walking across the street before I had even come to my senses. What happened? What is wrong with me? I have officially completely screwed up her day. What were the thoughts going through her head right now? Oh, I dreaded them. I was a creep, a crazy fool. I didn't go in that bedlam with the intention of spilling all of my feelings out to her.

Whoa… hold on… backtrack. Not feelings directly _for_ her, just feelings _about_ her.

The last thing I have is feelings for her.

…

Right?

I stopped dead in my tracks. The laughter of everyone in the pool outside made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. It was eerie, and accompanied by the splashing of water and the quiet sounds of the night, it was almost too much for me to take in.

Of course I don't have feelings for her. That's ridiculous. Preposterous. Mad. Completely bonkers!

I suddenly became aware of the cold asphalt under my bare feet. I continued up towards our house and tried not to notice how tightly my fists were clenched.

I can't _like_ Isabella, right after Phineas confirmed the nonexistence of his feelings. That would be insane! What, just all of the sudden I had feelings for her?

No!

The door slammed violently behind me, and I jumped about a foot forwards. I turned and examined the door, letting my heart rate calm down. It seemed okay. My hand found its place on the doorknob for a second, checking if it had broken. I didn't mean to slam it so hard. My thoughts slowly returned to me.

Ferb? Liking Isabella? Well that's just going against all of the rules in the book! I don't like her, she doesn't like me. It has always been, and will always be, Phineas and Isabella. I'm the one on the little unicycle next to them juggling a bunch of bananas.

Why was I even thinking about this? What could have possibly triggered it? She looked at me like she was _enchanted_. Enchanted by me or my words, I couldn't tell.

Perry waddled up to me out of the living room and made a small purring noise. It almost felt like he was actually looking at me. This day, I swear.

I sat down on the last stair step, and he came and greeted me by making a nice spot in my lap. Who knew a platypus could be so easy to talk to?

He purred softly as I stroked him.

"Can I ask you a question, Perry?" I said softly and quietly, knowing no one was in the house but me and the monotreme.

He squeaked and then sat still.

"If I were to... Let's say, have feelings for a certain raven haired girl... Not that I do... But if I did, what do you think would happen?"

I could have sworn I felt him tense up when I had said "raven haired girl". It was like he actually knew what I was saying. If it were anyone who could actually understand me, I would think they too would tense up a little.

I chuckled. "Yes, I know." I took a deep breath and blinked. "I'd be doomed."

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_I personally love how this came out. :D Thanks for taking the time to read! Next chapter will be up in the next week.  
_

_Please R&R! _

_~HalyPooH_


	4. Decisions, Decisions

_Hey everyone! Listen, I am incredibly sick at the moment so I am so sorry about the late update but I am really having trouble keeping my eyes open right now. All I have to say about this one is that sometimes teenagers are crazy and sometimes that craziness drives us to do crazy things. Sometimes they're good, and sometimes they're bad. I'll leave it to you to decide where this crazy act falls on the loony meter._

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Chapter Four:

Decisions, Decisions

"Um..." Ginger said once she was sure Ferb had left the second floor of my house. His loud exit was one I hadn't expected to hear- pounding down the stairs and then shutting the door pretty hard behind him… so hard that Ginger and I could hear it from upstairs and in my room- was not something that one would necessarily expect coming from the normally quiet Brit.

"You have no choice but to tell me everything." My friend exclaimed, her arms crossed over her chest.

I looked at her and then back at my open doorway.

Ferb... Sweet Ferb... I can't believe he said all of those things. I honestly don't know what to do now. How could I ever repay him? He just said things to me that no one had ever said before. I didn't think he really thought so much of me… and he got so close I… I think if I had let him go on any longer he would have ended up shoving his lips onto mine. That would have been bad. _Really_ bad. I suppose everyone has their moments, though… Those short bursts of temporary ardor, especially teens our age with all of these hormones controlling each and every choice we make. It was hard to believe, but it could happen to someone even as well put-together as Ferb. He did seem quite flustered when he stepped away. Embarrassed, even.

"Isabella?" Ginger pressed. "What happened? Tell me."

"You don't think it's possible that Ferb could like me, do you?" I let out. I had to get that out. That was the number one thing that was crossing my mind at the moment. Has Ferb… the loving, caring, dead-eyed British boy who had been standing by mine and Phineas' side our entire lives possibly have a crush on me that has been under the comprehensible radar this entire time?

Her eyes grew wider than I think I've ever saw them get. She walked up to me and placed the back of her hand onto my forehead.

I groaned and swatted it away. "Oh, stop! I don't actually think it's true, it's just because of something he said, that's all." I paused and blinked. "Well, everything he said."

"What did he say?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips. "What do you mean _everything_?"

"He would be delighted to be with me, along with a lot of other things." I stated, staring at her with high eyebrows, and she furrowed her own. She blinked a couple times, but only stood there.

"As if my boy problems weren't crazy enough already!" I shot my hands up in the air.

"Speaking of that, are you okay, Izzy?" She asked, choosing to throw the thought of Ferb liking me out the window. It was a good thing too, because otherwise I wasn't sure where our conversation would have ended up.

I swallowed hard and put my hands back to my sides. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Ferb. I don't think I'll ever be okay again, but now I guess not being okay is acceptable sometimes. I don't want to make any more decisions based on what Phineas is 'gonna do' that day, I don't want to be caught in his shadow anymore, and I am tired of being known as just the girl who fell hopelessly in love with a boy who would never feel the same way about her. I want to make my own decisions, be my own self." I paused for a second as I met her eyes. "Ferb said I shouldn't let this get in my way. So I'm not."

Ginger watched me sit down on the floor, and then she did the same, making a place right in front of me. Her eyes were calming, and she looked really sad. "You sure seem better than you did when you first got out of the pool."

I looked up at her. She too had dripping hair, but she had a towel wrapped around her unlike me. I was actually just sitting on my perfect, almost brand new carpet with sopping wet clothes and drenched hair. My guess is that she was sent by either Gretchen or Katie. The whole troop new how good Ginger was at making me feel better. They probably thought Ferb might've needed a little help, and it wouldn't do any good if everyone went up to help me, because Phineas would have followed them up there, no doubt about it.

I sighed slowly, trying to release some of the built up emotions that I could feel bundling up inside my lungs. "Did everyone hear what Phin said?"

She bit the inside of her bottom lip and nodded slightly. "It was really loud."

My lip quivered, so I quickly pulled my towel up to my mouth and covered it. This is the worst birthday ever. Phineas doesn't like me. He never has. He probably never will. I have a lot of lonely years left in my life to look forward to. Plus now, there was a slight possibility that Ferb could have feelings for me. I mean, chances were he probably didn't but I can't keep myself from getting curious.

"What did Ferb tell you to do?" She questioned.

"He said not to worry about it... and to keep going on." I said, turbulence strung along my words.

She looked at me, not giving me any feedback, so I kept talking.

"It was so bizarre the way he said everything... You should have heard him Ginger, he wasn't holding anything back. Everything he said was just… it was so amazing… I… he wouldn't stop long enough for me to get anything in! I couldn't stop him. He kept emphasizing how independent he thought I was and how I shouldn't bring myself down about Phin so much."

"You mean he was actually _rambling_?"

"Yeah. He talks a lot more around me than you'd probably think. Personally I'd assume he'd feel better saying things to the other guys, but I guess not."

"Well, it makes sense." She said, shrugging.

"How?"

"What other close friends does Ferb really have besides you? I mean sorry if I'm wrong but I haven't ever seen him hanging out with anyone but the main group, and whenever he does go somewhere alone with someone besides Phineas, it's with you. Plus Baljeet and Buford aren't necessarily the type you normally go to to talk with. You know them. They're like The Three Musketeers but with two."

She was right. I knew about Ferb's friends from different countries that he often spoke to over the internet, but that's about it. I mean he was just as good of friends with Buford and Baljeet as he was with me and Phineas, but I never have once seen him go to them just for the fun of it.

I need to go over there and thank him properly. Right now. I also needed to see if he was okay... I don't know what that stuttering he did at the end was all about, but Ferb never stuttered. It's not in his nature to stutter. He's a very fine tuned guy, and happens to be very in touch with his speech skills despite his lack of… speech. The pounding down the stairs and practically slamming my front door added to it. Now I had two good reasons why I should go over there. To thank him, and to see what the heck was wrong with him. Even tough guys like him need support sometimes.

"Ginger, I need you to hold off everyone from coming into my room while I'm gone. I'm officially engaging code blackout." I launched myself up out of my spot on the ground, but Ginger stayed where she was, giving me a thin smile.

"Where are you going?"

"To make sure he's okay." I shot back.

"But... That doesn't make sense." She put her hand out palm-up and narrowed her eyes. "Why do I have to keep people out of your room?"

"Duh, so they won't know I'm gone."

She eyed me suspiciously. "But you're just going to get Ferb. Why should you have to keep that a secret?"

I blinked, and then cleared my throat. I was silent for a while but then attempted to brush it off. "Come on, Ginger." I paused before opening the door. "Don't ask stupid questions."

I was freaking out. I was totally freaking out. I never got to hear what her reply had been, even if there was one, because I was already out of the room. That hadn't been a stupid question. That had been a perfectly legit, perfectly normal, rational question. I just... I didn't know how to answer it. Why had I made it so clear that I didn't want anyone knowing I was going to be gone? It's not like I'm doing anything I shouldn't be, besides leaving my own party.

I'm so confused. I still love Phineas. I'll always love Phineas. He's the biggest sweetheart I've ever met in my life, and I know he would never intentionally hurt me, let alone shatter all my dreams in one sentence. He's still my best friend. He's still going to be in my life for as long as I live, just maybe not the way I want him to be. But he's still only sixteen and I'm still only sixteen so maybe there's still a chance.

So why was my heart already draining itself of feelings for him?

I just need to go to Ferb, see what's wrong, if there is anything, and if there is, fix it. It would be a piece of cake.

I slipped out of my house without anyone seeing me. Everyone was in my backyard singing away on the karaoke machine, so I guess I got lucky. The crickets calmed me down a little, but I still felt edgy. All my nerves were tingling. I had a really bad feeling about this. What if Ferb didn't want me to follow him?

I'm just going to choose to ignore the whole fact that I'm spending my whole birthday chasing after these two boys, and not spending any good time with my other friends. Sometimes, Phineas could use a good smack to the head, if I do say so myself. Ferb is just... He's a witty smart-aleck, that's what he is.

I let myself in the Flynn-Fletcher home through the front door. Apparently Ferb forgot to lock it back on his way in. I didn't see anyone at first, except for Perry, who was lying on the bottom of the stairs. It was an odd place to fall asleep, but I guess he _is _a platypus. He had heard me shut the door, and his eyes flew open, looking drowsy and worked to the bone, but when he saw me, they managed to open twice as wide. I giggled. "Did I scare you, P?" I asked lovingly, patting his tiny head.

I could see a light on upstairs, so I laid my hand down on the handrail and started to climb up, stepping my way over the old turquoise family pet.

"Ferb?" I called. "Are you okay?"

There was a series of bumps and the click of a lock. Moments later, his head popped out of the doorway down the hall. I could see his face through the rails as I climbed the stairs. He looked surprised, but he stepped out of his room and the bridge of his nose wrinkled in confusion. "Am _I_ okay?" He questioned.

"Yeah... You seemed kind of bothered." I walked up to him, while sticking some of my hair behind my ear. "You didn't have to actually leave the whole party. I was just trying to escape the awkwardness of the situation. Ginger came in there and you were just throwing all of... that... at me, and I was confused, and it was a lot to take in in one moment, so I just..."

"Are you feeling better?" He asked, cutting me off as I let myself into his room. It was a really boyish room, with his personal British flare. It was so _him_. The walls were painted a dark green, which complemented his hair, and the back wall was a light board, which was similar to a chalk board, but instead of chalk, he had light pens, the usual pieces of furniture, and a computer desk. In the back left corner stood his old red phone box. He's told me he wishes it was blue, but I don't know why. This was actually only his main room, because he did sometimes still share a room with Phineas. He's told me he sleeps better in there because it felt homier. I thought it was adorable.

I clasped my hands together and spun around on my heels to see him still standing in his doorway, with his hands in his pockets, staring at me. He had already changed into a set of dry clothes: just a plain white (and might I innocently add the word inviting) V neck T-shirt and some shorts, but the tips of his hair still were slightly wet. Mine was still stringy, but once it dried it would become a huge mass of frizz. My clothes were somewhat dry, and the carpet between my toes made me realize I still didn't have any shoes on.

"Isabella?" He asked me again, making me tune back into reality. "Are you feeling better now?"

I swallowed abruptly and then ran my finger along the metal spiral of one of Phineas' old sketchbooks he had filled a long time ago. I could tell it was old from the handwriting on the front that clearly stated it was indeed Phineas'. It had to be from back in the sixth grade, or maybe before that. "Yeah, thanks to your speech back there." I finally answered.

He tensed up at the mention of his speech, and then turned his attention away from me, finding an old Newton's cradle to play with. I could almost _certify _that he was holding his breath. He played with the desk toy with one hand while slowly loosening a journal from a stack of unused ones. The only words he said to ensure that he had heard me were a simple and low-key, "That's good."

I watched him examine the tip of a+ pencil.

"Ferb?" I demanded his attention.

He looked back at me. His dark irises made me feel uncertain, almost anxious. The glint in them told me he was alright, but the deep blue underneath looked like it was hiding a novel's worth of knowledge and emotions that I most likely would never get the chance to read. I wonder what he was thinking… He twirled the pencil casually between his middle and index finger like a baton, further taunting my inability to understand him. Then he sat down on his bed, where he scooted back and leaned on the headboard, and opened the little journal to a blank page, leaving me awkwardly standing there in his room unable to bring myself to move, like a dog with socks on.

These two boys and their drawing, I swear. Both of them were remarkable. I couldn't draw worth a crap, so I loved watching them work… especially Ferb. No offense to Phineas, but all he ever draws is blueprints. Phineas was only fun to watch when he was on one of those imagination streaks of his.

"Did you really mean all of those things?" I continued, trying to make sense of all he had said earlier.

He nodded, his hair bouncing up and down ever so slightly. "Why else would I have said them?"

I continued to stay in my place, right in the middle of his room, standing directly at the end of his bed. I watched his eyes dart across the paper, where his pencil was swiftly making marks of which I had no clue what were of. I fiddled with my fingers. So he really had meant all of those things that he said about me… but now he was acting like none of it happened. Was he trying to throw off the whole thing like it meant nothing? It sure did mean a lot to me! I really took all he said to heart.

I don't know what to feel about that, but I'm sure not going to let him pretend it was worthless.

"Ferb?" I said again, and he looked up.

"What should I do now?" I said apprehensively, staring down at my pink painted toenails. "Should I keep chasing him, or… should I just give up for good this time?"

He stared at me with a hostile downcast that made him look like he'd seen his own death at least ten times, and then looked away at something else. I could tell he wasn't sure how to answer it. He shifted his position on his bed, bringing his legs up to his chest.

"It's okay. You don't have to answer." I nervously tapped the tips of my fingers together, trying to find something else to say. I didn't know what these feelings inside me were, but it sure felt strange. I was confused, mad, nervous, and inquisitive all at the same time.

"I think you should do whatever you think is best." He said. "It might take some thinking, but I'm sure you'll find another door somewhere if neither one you're facing fits your liking."

Well that was one way to not answer my question at all.

"And Isabella?"

I looked at him, placing my arms behind my back.

"Why aren't you at your birthday?" He hadn't looked at me, but instead kept his eyes on the paper.

"I can't just ignore the fact that you might not be okay and just leave you alone, that's crazy." I explained, letting my hands fly up a bit. "Plus, I don't really think I have the heart to go back."

I _really_ don't want to go back. Phineas would be happy and wonder why I was acting strange, but everyone else would be sad for me, telling me it was okay. I know they have the best intentions but sometimes you can get too many 'it's okay' speeches. Then I'd start to wander in my own thoughts again, and my nightmare would continue. I feel bad for leaving Ginger on duty, but then again, I doubt she even had the patience to stay in there this long. She's probably back in the pool. Hopefully she'd think of a good excuse for me.

Ferb patted the empty space beside him, and I hesitated, but… I actually needed to just sit with him and watch him draw. Hopefully it'd ease my nerves.

I crawled up into my spot, and made sure not to bump him. His bed was really soft, so my hands and knees sunk down under my weight, and there were a lot of comfy pillows. I've always wanted a bed just like his, same mattress and pillows, but with pink. It was like a cloud. He fixed the pillow to his left for me, and I turned around and laid back on it.

He had only made a few scratches on the paper, but I was already excited to watch it come to life.

We sat there for I don't know how long. But it was peaceful. There wasn't any more stress, or sadness, or terrifying glass boxes out to trap me. It was just me and Ferb and his pencil. He drew a beautiful landscape first, with a meadow and some trees, and a deer with a young fawn upon my request. Then he flipped the page and drew Perry. Linda had come home somewhere in the middle of it, and checked on us, and said she was going to go to sleep and that the rest of the gang was cleaning up the party. It was a relief that no one had been worrying about us.

Ferb had successfully gotten me to forget about Phineas within sixty minutes just by letting me relax. He could very well be the perfect remedy to my life problems. I should just keep him around for the rest of my life so I can go to him whenever I feel bad. Maybe by the time Phineas… I mean… if he ever does come around, Ferb and I could just be the best of friends, and we could go and get ice cream when one of us was feeling bad, and I could talk about my problems, and he could listen, and everything could work out in the end.

He was shading in Perry's tail when I noticed him glance over at me for the first time in that long hour. It was a short, secretive glance, but I still saw it. I pretended that I hadn't noticed, and pushed the butterflies that had suddenly and abruptly flown up into my stomach back down where they belong. I was just about done with butterflies. Ferb was not about to re-conjure them. He shouldn't be able to evoke them anyway. Why was he giving me butterflies? I'm nervous, that's why. Yeah. Sometimes Ferb can be really intimidating. Only Phineas could ever give me butterflies. But before I could think of a better reason for them, he altogether stopped drawing and turned his head to look at me.

"What?" My eyes widened.

"You're crying again." He said simply.

I frowned, but before I protested, he reached over with his pencil hand and wiped my cheek with his thumb. Then he showed it to me. Sure enough, there was a drop of water on it.

I wiped my cheeks again under my eyes, and they were damp but there weren't any more tears.

"Well... I'm not sad anymore. I don't know where that came from." I said, looking at my hands. "I guess I'm just happy."

I lied. I had thought about Phineas again. Phineas and butterflies.

He stared at me, still with those fire filled eyes. So much was going on in them all at once. It mesmerized me so much it made me mad. I hate how unreadable he is. It's ridiculous, but it drives me insane.

"I can never tell what you're thinking." I said, my voice surprisingly taut.

His eyes darted up and down really quickly, so fast that I guess he didn't think I had caught it. "And I can never tell what you'll do next." He added.

There was something in my throat that was keeping me from saying anything, but he was still staring at me. The way he said that was just... magnetic. Alluring, even.

But then he breathed in deeply and looked back to his notepad. "Sorry."

I continued to look at him. He held his pencil above his paper, and was incredibly stiff. I watched his chest move up and down ever so slightly.

He kept fumbling with the pencil in his hand, staring straight at the paper.

I wondered if it would be a good idea to kiss him... just to get my first kiss over with. It's not like I would have anything to lose. Phineas wouldn't care. Phineas wouldn't give a crap! I could at least get one of my wishes tonight. But it was crazy to even think about.

I mean, Ferb definitely deserved a kiss more than anyone else tonight. He's done so much for me today, so I owe him something after all he's helped me with. But it's obviously a stupid idea. I mean... Ferb is my friend. He did say he'd like to be with me. Well, sort of. Not that a kiss would make that happen, but it was proof that he wouldn't mind. I think.

No. I'm throwing that idea out the window. I am not going to kiss Ferb. It's _Ferb!_ I can't.

…But then he looked at me again.

I'm so stupid. I hadn't thought it through all the way, but I puerilely decided to take the chance that had been laid out in front of me. I leaned forward blindly and pecked his lips like a scared little sixth grader. He gasped, took in a sharp breath through his nose, and went off the side of the bed within the same second my lips had come into contact with his.

That single second was enough to turn my whole face into a bright red apple and make my heart do a backflip into a boiling hot cauldron of lava.

Then I noticed his face. The way he was looking at me made me want to run and hide. I had just broken the biggest rule in the book. There was never ever anything saying that I could do that. But screw the book! I was tired of these stupid rules and regulations that ruled my life. I was done with everyone's opinions. I was tired of being abided to the "fact" that I was _Phineas'_ girl. I know that that smart move of mine had been a huge mistake though. Even if I was currently emotionally unstable, I still hadn't any right to do that to him.

"What, am I not allowed to kiss you?" I said stridently, feeling the embarrassment sink in. I shouldn't have done that. I should not have done that. Kissing him was a terrible idea. But of course being the girl I am I couldn't let him know I regretted it.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then shook his head. The bed sheets shifted as he climbed back up and fitted his hand to the side of my face like he'd done so many times before. "Why did you do that?" His voice had been rendered down to a whisper.

"I... I'm sorry..." I let out, trying to pull away. He looked like he was ready to yell at me, and I felt my heart skip a beat. It was terrifying to see him so distraught like this. I thought he was going to get mad at me and tell me to go away, to never talk to him again. But he didn't. His hands cupped my face, and I could see true confusion in his deep blue intelligent eyes. It was something I had never seen in him before.

"Why?" He mouthed. "Bella, why would you do that?"

I felt my lip quiver again. I'm so _stupid_. My wonderful self just managed to make the situation even worse by dragging him into it. My best friend! This was supposed to just be my problem. Just me, being sad about Phin, not me being sad about Phin and freaking out because I got so sad and desperate that I kissed his brother instead. I closed my eyes tightly, and pressed my lips snugly together, trying not to cry again. I hate crying. It's the strangest way of expressing emotions.

"Isabella…" He whispered again, this time with concern bouncing off every part of his voice. "You're just so tired, aren't you?" He paused, and I opened my eyes. "The kind of tired that sleep will never be able to fix."

Silence had fallen over us, and the room felt so dark. "You're confused too." He whispered. "So confused. But that's okay. It's okay. I'll help you find your dream." He said. "I will."

I felt his thumb running through the hairs on the side of my head. It was oddly palliative. I watched his eyes close, and to experience the warm sensation of his lips latching back onto mine was something that I never thought could be so entirely satisfying.

It was not supposed to happen though. This right here was forbidden to ever happen. It was forbidden by my friends, it was forbidden by my own self, it was forbidden by Ferb. My heart sped up faster than I think it had ever gone, and my head spun around like I was on the teacup ride at the fair. The pressure of his kiss was… it was just right…so remarkably right, and because it was right, it was wrong. One of his hands made its way around and slowly pressed down on my back, pulling me closer, and the other dug through the black tresses of hair near my neck. He made my eyes flutter shut and my mouth open, rendering my body uncontrollable. He was the puppeteer and I was the puppet. Every sweet movement he made further drew me back together, helped me breathe more, and helped me forget. The edges of my skin felt like they were slowly melting into nothing.

I was starting to kiss him back.

I wasn't sure what I was thinking, but it sure felt good. His hands sent shivers down my back, pulling me into a higher state of vigilance. This should not be happening. This definitely should _not_ be happening, and I should Inot/I be liking it so much.

He pulled me towards him, kissing me harder. God, he could kiss good, and that was not a good thing, but before I knew it, I was climbing into his lap. My hands slid up his chest and to the sides of his face, and into the little short soft hairs on the back of his neck.

But then out of nowhere, like he had just had a sudden epiphany, he ended it by pulling back and taking a sharp breath in, catching all the breath he had lost. I watched his movements silently, all the while still in his lap, but once he started to try and move me off, my thoughts finally registered and I leaped off with little amount of effort.

He was looking at me as though he had just committed a murder... and I was the victim. "We..." He breathed hard. "We should not do that."

I shook my head hard, my eyes wide. "I'm so sorry." I whispered.

He lowered his eyebrows and looked at me like I was crazy.

"What!?" I exclaimed.

I _was_ crazy though. I am Isabella, the lunatic girl from across the way. The manner he was looking at me in made me feel so uneasy. I knew I had just made a huge mistake. I knew from the minute he shoved me off.

"I'm sorry, Ferb."

"You should go home." He said, his voice suddenly sounding deep and unforgiving.

I gave him a look, but he only kept staring me down like I was in some kind of trouble with him.

"But Ferb, I… I'm sorry!"

"Just go, Bella."

I tapped my fingers together once more, afraid that if I said anything else he would never speak to me again. I still wanted to be there though. I didn't want to leave. I loathed the fact that I had to, but I backed up off of the bed anyway, padded quickly across the quiet room, and only stopped when I got to the door and made myself look back. He had his head buried in his hands, bent over in an arch with his elbows propped up on his crossed legs.

God...

This was not good.

* * *

_So what do you think? Crazy good, or crazy bad? This little decision of Bella's might come back to haunt her later.  
_

_Also, IF YOU'RE CONFUSED OR MAD ABOUT THIS BEING SO EARLY PLEASE READ:_

_Yes, they did kiss, but it wasn't out of love for each other. Well, it was love, but not **love love.** Ferb saw how incredibly broken she was. After seeing the sheer pain in her eyes, her face, her motions, he knew the only reason she kissed him was because she needed comfort. She needed comfort from someone she knew loved her. Not as a boyfriend, but as a friend. So the reason Ferb kissed her back again is sort of similar to the reason why Sam kissed Charlie in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Because he didn't want to see her pain. He wanted it to go away. He wanted her first kiss to be from someone that loved her._

_Anyyywayyyy,, Thanks for staying tuned! If you have any questions, please Review! _

_HalyPooH_


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